Hell Yeah!

Hmm...

You know, HRC needs to remember that everything you say and do is available with a few clicks of a mouse. A couple of days ago, she said this:

"None of this is surprising to me. You know, last spring when I looked at how the race was shaping up, I knew that it would be a close contest and I assumed it would be with Senator Obama and at that time I said we have got to start thinking about Texas, we have to start thinking ahead."

Okay, that makes sense. Except that back in December, she said this:



sigh...

Smackdown!

Friends

It's a Bird, It's a Plane...

Why The Hillary Hate?

An old friend from college e-mailed me and asked why I'm so anti-Hillary. Here's my response:

I've never been a big fan of the Clintons, going back to their DLC days (moving the party to the right in order to win the White House). She's running as a Progressive now, but I don't believe it. It also bothers me that she's running on her "experience", which mainly consists of being married to Bill. If that's the criteria, then I should be able to run AARP's NoVA office, because my wife does. And I hate, hate, the way that she's running her campaign - so dirty. Don't get me wrong, I'll hold my nose and vote for her if she gets the nomination (despite what Rush Limbaugh says, McCain is no Liberal), but I don't think she'll be able to beat the GOP - she'll actually do a good job of getting more people on the other side motivated to vote against her - the exact opposite of Obama.

This Alone Should Disqualify HRC

Numbers

Just saw this blurb at MyDD:

* NBC News now has Barack Obama up 1,078 to 969 in pledged delegates over Hillary Clinton. After tonight that number could be about 1,128 to 1,009.
* Importantly, though, when you add in the superdelegates, Obama is still projected to lead 1,306 delegates to 1,270.
* Obama could net a gain of 15 to 20 more delegates next week out of Wisconsin and Hawaii.
* If this pace keeps up, Clinton will have to start winning with 60 percent margins nationwide in order to win the nomination.
* At this point, Obama now has received more votes than Clinton -- even when the votes of Florida (where he didn't campaign) and Michigan (where he wasn't even on the ballot) are considered.

Wow

Anyone see the McCain victory speech? CNN showed it following Obama. Wow! Dude looked old. And he was surrounded by old, tired White people. The contrast is amazing.

Why?

Why the hell is MSNBC interviewing Al Sharpton?

More from Dad

At the age of 67 I think I may finally have a glimpse of MLK's
"promised land".

Obama just didn't win in Virginia and Maryland - he kicked major ass. Look at the numbers - in Virginia, 63% to 36%; in Maryland, 68% to 29%. He won the female vote, the black vote, tied the white vote, the male vote. In short, he won!!

From My Dad

"We stood in line for thirty minutes this morning. But we made history!!"

Hope Changes Everything

I Voted

I stood in line for 40 minutes this morning to cast my vote in the Virginia Democratic Primary for Barack Obama. It was pretty exciting, even though I've been voting for 20 years now.

Move On Up

Just want to add another thing about yesterday's Town Hall meeting. Anyone who has "Move On Up" by Curtis Mayfield playing while the crowd is waiting should automatically become President!

No We Can't

 

Fired Up! Ready To Go!

 

He talked about change and hope, of course, but he also got pragmatic, and talked about how he can beat McCain and can get a working majority in Congress to implement his plans. Coattails, in other words.

 

And here he is, entering the gym and working the crowd.

 


Governor Kaine introduced Obama, giving a good portion of his speech in Spanish.

 

The press was caged off in the back of the gym.

 

I'd say about 3,200 people packed the TC Williams Gymnasium. Black and White, Yellow and Brown. Straight and Gay, young and old. It was a party-like atmosphere - everyone was super excited to be there and to see Obama.

Obama in Alexandria

 

We got to TC Williams around 10:00 this morning, and the line was already down to King Street. It ended up going down King Street a few blocks, and then wrapping back around.

In The Neighborhood

Look who was in the neighborhood today:




She was Washington and Lee HS in Arlington, trying to drum up support. Remember, get to the polls on Tuesday and Vote For Change - Obama '08.

What Happened in Cali?

From my friend Adam:

Charlie. I wanted to share my thoughts about the California work we've done and where we'll go from here:

The results were undoubtedly disappointing. We secretly hoped to win, told ourselves we'd be happy to lose by 1-5%, and are down about losing by 10%. The lessons learned are that organization matters more than anything else. The Clintons had big turnout among Latinos, especially in LA. They worked the phones, walked the streets, and dragged people to the polls. We tried to do the same here in the Bay Area, but I think we fell short. The biggest disappointment was the turnout among African-Americans. As I canvassed I walked up to groups of African-American men and asked if they voted, and usually they shrugged or didn't know their polling place or weren't interested. The ground operation wasn't strong enough; there wasn't the groundswell that gets people out of their houses and to the polling places. I hoped this county (Alameda) would be dominant for Obama, with UC Berkeley and Oakland as strong support areas. Instead he only won by 6%.

The lessons are to really organize and get in the communities so that everyone knows and everyone votes. We have to really build up the enthusiasm so it feels like a movement. I think that Clinton is the default candidate, meaning that voters who don't know that much or haven't been paying attention vote for her, because they recognize her name. The way to counter that is with strong enthusiasm. Also, get people involved. The more people at a rally or canvassing, the more it feels like something worth belonging to.

Good luck in the VA and MD primaries.

Why Obama?

Click To Play

Super Tuesday

Just got this from my little brother in San Diego:

Get up.
Think.
Stretch.
Think again.
Begin your normal morning routine.
Think.
Remember.
"I gotta' vote today..."
Think about the tomorrow you truly desire.
Do you want your children to wake up in the same world?
Year, after year, after year....
Think.
"How can I positively affect change today?"

More From Pops

Just got this email from Dad -

Yes We Can!

We can because we must! God calls upon us to use our gifts and talents
for others. The current regime and the ones immediately preceeding it
have forgotten this mandate. We must use our gifts and talents to make
this a better world. I taught you this! I beliieve Obama understands
this!

We Can

Yes We Can

It was a creed written into the founding documents that declared the destiny of a nation.

Yes we can.

It was whispered by slaves and abolitionists as they blazed a trail toward freedom.

Yes we can.

It was sung by immigrants as they struck out from distant shores and pioneers who pushed westward against an unforgiving wilderness.

Yes we can.

It was the call of workers who organized; women who reached for the ballots; a President who chose the moon as our new frontier; and a King who took us to the mountaintop and pointed the way to the Promised Land.

Yes we can to justice and equality.

Yes we can to opportunity and prosperity.

Yes we can heal this nation.

Yes we can repair this world.

Yes we can.

We know the battle ahead will be long, but always remember that no matter what obstacles stand in our way, nothing can stand in the way of the power of millions of voices calling for change.

We have been told we cannot do this by a chorus of cynics...they will only grow louder and more dissonant ........... We've been asked to pause for a reality check. We've been warned against offering the people of this nation false hope.

But in the unlikely story that is America, there has never been anything false about hope.

Now the hopes of the little girl who goes to a crumbling school in Dillon are the same as the dreams of the boy who learns on the streets of LA; we will remember that there is something happening in America; that we are not as divided as our politics suggests; that we are one people; we are one nation; and together, we will begin the next great chapter in the American story with three words that will ring from coast to coast; from sea to shining sea --

Yes. We. Can.

A Generational Thing?

SEIU California and MoveOn.org both endorsed Obama today. Both are known as progressive, new school organizations. I just got the following email from a friend of mine who's got ears everywhere:

I've also heard that Sweeney(AFL-CIO) called his decision makers up to the 8th floor yesterday, that they're preparing to endorse Hillary. The HRC ppl I know are saying the same thing

Old school vs. New School?

I've also heard that Ellen Malcolm (head of Emily's List) is threatening Emily's List candidates not to endorse Obama. Emily's List endorsed Clinton a year ago.

My Friends Talk

I emailed just about everyone I know to urge them to vote for Obama. Here are the words of a few:

Charlie,
Sure, I'd love to hear what you have to say about Obama. I have liked him so much ever since I saw him a year or two ago on Oprah. Sophia - Upstate NY

Hey Charlie,

Glad to hear from you. Sounds like you've been a little busy lately. I'm glad you're supporting Obama over Hillary. Although she's a women, and it would be great to have a women in the White House, I agree we're ready for a change. Although I've typically voted Republican, I've really been considering Obama--I like what he says and I like his style.

Sara, Georgia

we couldn't agree more. i already voted for him (absentee). i saw hillary in salinas about a week ago. she didn't do anything for me at all. it's time for a new beginning!! Colleen, Monterey, CA

FYI, I'm an Obama precinct captain here in California. Just heard Ted Kennedy speak. We're working our butts off here in Oakland to get out the vote. If he can win here in CA, he'll be the nominee. Adam, Berkeley, CA

I really thought I was going to vote for Hillary, and
as much as I admire the Clintons' combined ambition to be in the White House
again, I really think it's time for a change too! And thanks for sharing
your dad's words with us. I have been really disturbed by the hatred passed
on to illegal immigrants, which isn't too far from the racism your dad
suffered through - Obama is a reminder that despite the ills of the world,
we are moving forward. It really is inspiring! Liz, Virginia


I'm with you on this one, Charlie. Vicki, Maryland

We're on board and have been for awhile. We donated to Hillary's exploratory committee 3 years ago just to have someone different than the Demo gadflies (Kucinich and Nader) and intelligent on the ballot in 2008, but the bar has been raised and we have seen the future. I've already voted absentee so I keep trying to get the word out to everyone I know, VOTE for hope and change. Kathy, San Diego

The Debate

Just got this e-mail from my father:

I was too young to cast my first vote for JFK in 1960 ( the minimum age
then was 21 and I was only twenty).

I registered to vote in Roanoke, VA, on my twenty first birthday,
August 27, 1961. I had to pass a literacy test (reading from a portion
of the Constitution before some minor functionary). The Voting Rights
Act had not yet been passed.

Thanks be to God, I have lived long enough to see this day!!

Tears are in my eyes!!!

Anyone who can make my dad feel this way has my vote.

I'm also tired of people saying that Obama's "all talk, no substance - what about specifics on issues?". 1st of all, you're damn lazy - ever heard of google? Go to his website and look it up for yourselves - http://www.barackobama.com/issues/. On most things (the vote to go to war being a major difference), Obama and Clinton are quite close. However, she's such a polarizing figure, that even if she were to win, it would be by such a razor thin margin that we'd have another 4 years of bickering back and forth between right and left. Obama really and truly believes in One America, and wants to put an end to the past 16 years of pettiness that we've had to live with.

Another thing - I remember my 1st vote in a Presidential >Election. It was 1988, my 2nd year at UVa, and it was Reagan/Bush vs. Dukakis/Bentsen. Since then, every election we've had has had either a Bush or a Clinton the ballot - we really need a fresh start. Seriously, 30 years with either a Bush or a Clinton in the White House is long enough.